Au Poivre

Dad's Day has to include a holiday grilling.

Annabel Cohen
Special to the Jewish News

C

ulinarily, it's easy to remember
dad on Father's Day. The holiday
usually means barbecue, with
dad often doing the grilling.
Most summer grilling includes chicken,
burgers and something hot-dog shaped.
But every once in a while, many want
something a little different, like steak.
Quality and cut are everything, with juicy
cuts like rib-eye the most popular kosher
cut (strip steaks and tenderloin are next).
The flavorful recipes below are wonder-
ful, man-loving summer fare. Everything
except the steaks can be prepared ahead,
so the day may be enjoyed stress free.
When you're ready to eat, just heat the
grill and give Dad the tongs.

Grilled Ribeye Steaks
Au Poivre

Non-dairy creamer and olive oil makes
the sauce kashrut-friendly.
Sauce:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 /2 cup chopped shallots
1 tsp. minced garlic
2/3 cup cognac or other brandy
2 tsp. beef bouillon (or 2 cubes)
1 cup non-dairy creamer
Steaks:
6 large ribeye steaks or your
favorite cut
11/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. black peppercorns
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over
medium-high heat. Add the shallots and
garlic and cook for about 5 minutes,
until the vegetables are softened and
beginning to brown. Add the cognac and
bring to a very gentle boil. Cook, stir-
ring frequently until the sauce is nearly
evaporated (a glaze), about 3-4 minutes.
Add the creamer and bouillon and bring
to a gentle boil again. Cook for another
5 or 6 minutes until the sauce is reduced
by half. Keep warm while you grill the
steaks or chill for up to two days before
reheating.
Prepare steaks: Season both sides of
steaks well with salt. Place the pepper-
corns in the bowl of a mini-chop or food
processor and pulse to crush (or crush
with a mortar and pestle or in a plastic
bag with a meat mallet). Use your hands
to "press" the crushed pepper into the

steaks.
Heat grill to high. Spray both sides of
steak with nonstick cooking spray. Grill
steaks 2-3 minutes on each side for medi-
um-rare or more to your preferred done-
ness. Serve the steaks with the cognac
sauce spooned over. Makes 6 servings.

Wild Mushroom
Mashed Potatoes
5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled,
cut into 2-inch chunks
4 Tbsp. ( 1/2 stick) butter,
margarine or olive oil
Mushroom Mixture:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. minced garlic
11/2 pounds button and wild
mushrooms, any combination
sliced very thin
1 /2 cup dry white wine
1 /4 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

As you cut the potatoes, place them
in a large pot of cold water. Cover the
pot and bring the potatoes to a boil over
high heat. Cook the potatoes until tender,
about 25-30 minutes (they must be ten-
der or they will be lumpy).
While the potatoes are cooking, make
mushroom mixture: Heat oil in a large
skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
onions and garlic and cook, stirring
frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the mush-
rooms and cook until the mushrooms
give up their liquid and the liquid has
evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the
wine, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook
until the mushrooms are almost dry.
Remove from heat.
When the potatoes are tender, drain
them very well and transfer back to the
pot or to a large bowl. Add the butter
or margarine to the potatoes and mash
them or whip them using an electric
mixer. Add the mushroom mixture and
stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes
8 12 servings.

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Hot Onion Spread

So easy and delicious as an appetizer.
2 cups chopped Vidalia or other
sweet onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 /2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. honey mustard

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
paprika, garnish
good quality or gourmet crackers
(flats and water crackers are good)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all
ingredients, except paprika and crackers,
in a medium bowl and stir well. Spread
the mixture in a small, attractive baking
dish or oven-proof bowl and sprinkle
with paprika (may be made up to two
days before) and bake, uncovered, for 20
minutes, until very hot and bubbly. Serve
with crackers as a spread. Makes 10-12
servings.

Green Beans Vinaigrette

The vinaigrette quantity is more than
you'll need for this recipe. The good news
is that it stays fresh for up to two months
in the refrigerator.
2 pounds green beans
Dressing:
1 /4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 tsp. minced
1 cup fresh chopped parsley or
2 Tbsp. dried
1 /2 cup fresh tarragon leaves or
1 Tbsp. dried
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high
heat. Add the green beans and cook for 3
minutes.
Drain immediately and rinse with cold
water to stop the cooking (may be made a
day in advance of serving — don't dress
until just before serving). Arrange the
green beans on a platter and set aside.
Make dressing: Whisk together in a
large bowl the vinegar and the mustard.

Slowly whisk in the oil in a thin stream to
emulsify the mixture. Stir in the remain-
ing ingredients and adjust salt and pep-
per to taste. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of the
vinaigrette over the beans and serve.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Individual Berry Crisps

Berry mixture:
11/2 cups sugar
1 /2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 /4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 cups mixed raspberries,
blackberries and blueberries
(do not use strawberries)
Topping:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 /2 cup brown sugar
1 /2 cup flour
% cup oatmeal (any type)
3 /4 cup butter or margarine
(1% sticks), melted
Preheat oven to 375E Spray 8 large
ramekins (12 ounces) or single bak-
ing cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.
Alternately, spray a 2-quart baking dish
with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Combine filling ingredients in a large
bowl and toss well with your hands.
Distribute the filling among the baking
cups.
Combine topping ingredients, except
butter, in a medium bowl and stir or toss
well. Drizzle in the butter and mix well.
Crumble the topping over the berry fill-
ing.
Bake until the topping is golden, about
30 minutes (may be made up to a day
ahead). Cool to warm or room tempera-
ture and serve. Serves 8. II

June 14* 2007

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